Rolling to sixteenth straight, Barton Softball sweeps doubleheader at Sterling

Scoring early and often Tuesday afternoon in Sterling, the Barton Community College softball team racked up another pair of five inning non-conference victories defeating the junior varsity squad of Sterling College 15-1 and 22-0.   The Cougars scored five in the first inning and put numbers on the scoreboard every inning to run away with the first game then after scoring nine runs in the first three innings of the nightcap, put a thirteen spot on the board in the fourth to cap the scoring.   The sixteenth straight win improves the Cougars to 18-1 on the season setting up an early region preview hosting No. 6 Butler Community College to open conference play on Thursday.  First pitch for the doubleheader slated for 2:00 p.m. at Cougar Field.

Jenna Hosey was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate while also drawing a walk leading ten Cougars with at least one hit in the fifteen hit game one.  Reigning conference player of the week Maddison Schofield began the five run first inning with a single up the middle as the Australian freshman would go 2-for-3 in the opener.  Schofield was joined in the multi-hit club by McKenna Mauler and Payton Summers who each had a double except for Summers recording two for her two hits of the game.  Summers got the first of her two doubles with a first inning RBI before driving in two more runs in Barton's six run third inning.   

Amanda Evans picked up her first win of the year as the Topeka freshman hurled the final three innings scattering two hits while striking out four.  Holly Posegate began the game in the center circle pitching the first two innings surrendering one hit while striking out four of the seven batters she faced to remain at 8-1 on the season.

Barton put away the Warrior early and often again in the second game with four runs in the first and capping the runaway with thirteen runs in the fourth inning as again the Cougars pounded out fifteen hits between twelve players.  Hosey stayed hot with a 2-for-4 performance including a fourth inning double while Brittany Wood's 2-for-2 four RBI game produced her tenth homerun moving into a third place tie nationally and into a tie for the top spot with forty-two runs batted in.  

Five hits came from the second wave of talented Cougars driving in seven of the runs.  Kelsie Doll's second double of the season drove in three runs while Chasity Ward connected for her first double of the season driving in her first run of the season during the thirteen run fourth inning.

Madison Didion won her eighth straight in the circle improving to 9-1 on the season.  The reigning conference pitcher of the week gave up a lone hit in three innings of work striking out three but surrendered a one-out walk in the second inning ending an impressive 30.1 innings of not giving up a free pass.